Brent Sherman’s first lap around the NASCAR Nextel Cup circuit has been a bumpy ride. Sherman said that he has left BAM Racing’s Nextel Cup team to form his own team, Sherman Racing. Sherman’s team will spend the rest of the 2006 season on the ARCA RE/MAX Series circuit, with plans to try to qualify for Nextel Cup races July 9 in suburban Chicago and Nov. 12 near Phoenix. He hopes his new team can run a full Nextel Cup season in 2007. “We’re going to do whatever we have the money to do,” Sherman said. Sherman said he was told by a BAM Racing official last Tuesday that he would not be the driver for the team in Richmond and Darlington. “I told them that was unacceptable,” Sherman said. His response was a letter to BAM Racing informing the team that he no longer would be its driver. “We still haven’t heard anything from them,” Sherman said. “They haven’t called.” BAM Racing officials did not return phone messages seeking comment Wednesday. Sherman took the team’s biggest sponsor, Serta, with him. Bob Sherman, Brent’s father, is president of Serta. Brent Sherman said Serta will be the primary sponsor for his team. Sherman said he will be in charge of the day-to-day operations of the team, but “I’ll run everything past my dad.” Sherman plans to start running on ARCA at the May 21 race in Toledo, Ohio.(St. Paul Pioneer Press)(5-12-2006)
